Well first of all, I’m happy to report that for once, “best year of your life” week was NOT the night of a thousand rumbas!!! It was, instead, the night of a thousand (ok, THREE) Viennese waltzes, and this episode of Sesame Street was brought to you by the awkward men’s Viennese waltz solo 😛 OH! And be still my heart…did Carrie Ann actually cop to being remiss in her lift policing the past few weeks???? And then promptly make herself look rather like a douchebagette, when sternly chastising Gleb for carrying a sick Lisa down the stairs? Yeah…that happened. But let’s just get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?

1 & 2.) TIE: Kellie & Derek and Zendaya & Val – Both ladies had strong showings tonight, yet both of them seemed to have minor technical issues that kept them from being 100% on-point. Loved Kellie & Derek’s rumba – very simple, intimate feel, and Kellie does have some fantastic legs. But I do agree with whatever judge said that she seemed a little bit “clipped” tonight – I don’t know if it was the segueing from very slow, fluid movements to rather fast, crisp ones, but things got a bit jerky from time to time. As for Zendaya – I love watching that girl dance, and she’s obviously right at home on the floor…just the right amount of attitude to really carry off Beyonce, and the dance chops to back it up. But once again, she seems to be having trouble with those long legs – Len was right, she was a bit too bent in the knee, and needed to really straighten those legs out in order to get more of a bounce. She also seemed to get a bit off-balance in some of the faster turns, which I noticed in her Viennese waltz & jive as well. Long legs are great to look at – but when it comes to ballroom & Latin, sometimes the ladies with shorter legs have it a bit easier, just because it’s easier to move quickly & crisply when you have less to extend. Also a bit of a warning to Val – there seemed to be an awfully high proportion of jazz-y, hip-hoppy type-moves in that samba. I know it’s tempting to really go wild when you’ve got a Beyonce song (and a partner that can do those kinds of moves), but if this continues week to week, you’re going to be butting heads with Len A LOT. Overall, I think I was probably more entertained by Zendaya’s dance, but I was more touched emotionally by Kellie’s. Enjoyed both, and I doubt either of these ladies are going anywhere.

3.) Jacoby & Karina – I still think this guy is gonna walk away with the trophy when all’s said and done – and the fact that he actually handled his first ballroom dance quite masterfully just makes me believe it anymore. I was mentally preparing myself for a trainwreck – crummy frame, messy feet, missed beats, etc. But I was actually impressed at how well Jacoby held his frame – his neck & shoulders looked great, almost hyperextended, although he did stick his butt out just a tiny bit…which I’m sure Karina’s going to chastise him for later, because ballroom law dictates that the man never slouches down to accommodate a shorter lady – it’s the lady’s job to rise up to the man’s height 🙂 But this guy never missed a turn, stretched those arms out nice & wide, and best of all – he was totally uninhibited, and really gave that solo his all. And can I just add that his little guy is beyond precious??? 😀 And one other thing I have really begun to appreciate about Jacoby’s dancing? He’s there for Karina EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. No fumbling to get turns straight, no near-misses with tricks, no missing getting into frame – the dude is on-point.

4.) Aly & Mark – Ok, let me preface my critique with this: there was nothing wrong technically with how Aly pulled off this routine. Really, she did it flawlessly, and never missed a beat. Now here’s the problem I have: this felt like “contemporary by numbers”, and it felt a little too…safe. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually kind of missing the rule-breaking, demented, wacky choreographing Mark we saw in season 11 with Chelsea – because so far, everything he’s choreographed this season has just felt kind of ordinary & run-of-the-mill. And when I say “contemporary by numbers”, I mean that it felt like a random sampling of miscellaneous contemporary moves – we’re doing a lift! Oh, now we’re flexing our feet so you can tell we’re doing contemporary. Now we’re going to leap across the floor in an artistic fashion, and then we’re going to do another lift…but we’re going to do it in a very angst-ridden manner, so you can tell that we’re doing contemporary. And Aly’s solo, while perfectly-executed, felt kind of safe, too – it was what everyone expected her to do. Maybe if Mark had thrown in something other than a series of tumbles, it wouldn’t have felt quite so expected. But anyway – I guess I feel a little conflicted about her score. I do think she was overscored, just because she didn’t really have fantastic content, but in the same token, I think she handled her routine tonight better than Kellie or Zendaya. Once again, I’m just left feeling rather “meh” about Aly, and not really with an opinion of her, one way or another. Aly, please wow me next week – because I’m seriously hard-pressed to recall anything memorable about your routines thus far.

5.) Andy & Sharna – Dance of the night for me, by far, and the only one that brought me to tears…like, big tears. For once, I actually think Carrie Ann had the perfect analogy: this was like a beautiful, simple poem constructed with only 3 letters. No super-exciting, super hard & impressive moves – just very simple, well-executed basics, and each step was done with such conviction and investment that it just brought me to tears. With every quarter turn Andy did, I felt the love he had for his daughter. That’s the kind of emotion that no other couple tonight managed to capture, and Andy was also the only Viennese waltzer tonight that didn’t look dorky & contrived during his solo. And once again, Sharna was there for him every step of the way, without overpowering the dance. I just love these two, and they’ve restored a bit of faith in this cranky ol’ blogger that there’s more to this show than dancing J I’m hoping their bottom 2 scare last week, paired with the rave reviews they got this week, are going to keep these two around…because they’re getting all of my votes from here on out 🙂

6.) Ingo & Kym – Oh Ingo, god love you – you are working hard, you are improving, and you seem like a really, really nice guy. But I just cannot shake this awkward vibe I’m getting from you 😛 I’ll admit, this week was an improvement over last, and Ingo has been getting better with each passing week. Frame has visibly improved, and he’s not sticking his butt out anymore. There were a few fumbles with the hands, though, and I really didn’t care for his solo much – a little too elementary, and a little…well, awkward 😛 Here’s the problem I’m running into with these two: they’re pleasant to watch, and they’re doing decently well…but there’s not really anything about them that thrills me, like some of the other couples. I think they’re more outwardly likeable and approachable than Aly & Mark, though…so I guess that’s good. I guess Ingo has kind of become the Rick Fox of season 16 for me: a really nice, likeable guy that does decently well, works hard, and doesn’t cause drama…but maybe isn’t the most memorable, either. Regardless, I think they’ve still got some mileage this season.

7.) Sean & Peta – Quite possibly the most awkward of the Viennese waltzes tonight, and I know I couldn’t have been the only one guffawing at that stilted, dorky solo/dance of seduction he did towards Catherine at the end…she even looked a bit embarrassed FOR him 😛 As for the rest of the dance, I just think Sean is a really awkward mover, and tends to stop & shuffle his way through most of the steps. On top of that, I just think this was a really, really sh*tty piece of choreography out of Peta – there were boring, repetitive sections of them awkwardly doing a basic step down the floor, and then sudden, flaily sections where they were flinging their arms out willy-nilly or doing some weird trick whereby Sean dragged Peta across the floor. Everything just felt really, really disjointed and awkward – as if Peta had to cut out sections that Sean just wasn’t mastering, and had to patch everything together with Elmer’s Glue Sticks and Scotch tape. I do find it telling that the judges seemed to drop the hammer a bit on ol’ Seannie boy this week – not so much gushing about how well he did, and Carrie Ann did actually point out a lift …that I’m guessing they attempted (and failed) to conceal with the Smoke Monster 😛 I probably wouldn’t have given this more than 19, tops…but he did backslide a bit in his score, so I think the Sean infatuation may be wearing off…

8.) D.L. & Cheryl – Not really sure how to feel about this foxtrot. I do applaud D.L. for actually dancing more this time, and I actually do applaud Cheryl for MAKING him dance more this time…but this was a pretty kindergarten foxtrot, and I’m not sure D.L.’s solo was up-to-snuff with what we saw from a lot of the other contestants. I don’t really count crawling on the floor and dry-humping the judges table as a solo 😛 I guess D.L. does seem like he’s trying a bit harder now, though, so I guess I’m not so vehement about this guy needing to go home. However, now that he’s getting halfway-decent scores and not getting reamed by the judges, though, I’m not sure that he’s going to get the slew of sympathy votes he’s gotten the past couple weeks. I would rather see him go home this week, but given the circumstances, I just don’t see it happening…but at the rate he’s improving, I think he’s just going to stick out like a sore thumb each week he stays. I’m guessing he gets the boot next week.

9.) Victor & Lindsay – Oh boy…I’m afraid that this paso doble, despite being what I thought would be one of Victor’s stronger dances, was an almost endless parade of fail. Poor Victor just seemed so timid & tentative with each move he made – two words you don’t really want thrown around when describing a paso doble. He also seemed to miss a rather sizeable chunk of steps right out of the gate, and I’m afraid the vigor with which Lindsay was dancing (she looked great tonight, btw – first time she’s really impressed me with her stage presence) just made it that much more obvious that Victor was struggling. I think these two will likely end up in the bottom 2 tomorrow night, but will likely be saved by extenuating circumstances (see below). These two, as likeable as they may be, I think are reaching their limit on this season…I just don’t know that they can pull out much more.

10.) Lisa & Gleb – First things first: I know I can’t be the only one that thought it was just kind of bitchy of Carrie Ann to dock them for a lift. Yes, I get it CAI, you’ve got a renewed sense of vigilance for lift policing now that you’ve lurked at Pure (at Tom’s urging ;-)) and seen that we called you out on it. But really – was it necessary to drop the hammer on a guy for carrying his sickly partner (who barely moved) out onto the floor? Just a weeeee bit petty, IMO. It’s not like the extra point you claim you would have given them without the lift was really going to help. But anyway – not much to add that hasn’t already been said: Lisa looked timid and tired, and I applaud her for trying to dance. And at this point, I’m fully expecting her to withdraw from the competition tomorrow night – as Mama Spence put it upon seeing Lisa in the commercial bumper before her dance “That woman looks like she’s already decided that she’s done.” It’s been fun seeing these two this season, but I do get the feeling that Lisa was very overwhelmed by the whole thing, and was maybe secretly hoping to get sent home. And at this point, I can’t blame her – getting over the flu when you’re in your 20’s is one thing, but in your 50’s? That requires a bit more downtime, and I’m not sure Lisa & Gleb can afford it if they want to stick around. So I guess my official prediction is that Victor & Lisa are the bottom 2 tomorrow night, but Lisa announces that she’s withdrawing, thereby sparing Victor for another week. But if Lisa gets a slew of sympathy votes and is somehow safe??? All bets are off – I think Victor is doomed for the bottom 2 tomorrow, but I’m not sure who would join him…D.L., maybe? Or even Sean? Who knows…but damn, I’m gonna miss that little narcoleptic, bald, tech-savvy Pomeranian of hers 😛

So what did you guys think of “best year of my life” night? And how do you think things will shake out tomorrow? And tell us who you voted for in this week’s Twitter contest! 😛

103 responses to "DWTS 16, Week 4 – Power Rankings"

I’m glad Lindsay impressed you but I’m disappointed I love them to death but I just wasn’t pleased but that didn’t stop me from voting 😉 I voted like crazy! My favs of the night were def…. Andy and Sharna there is one word to describe their dance……….BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Kellie – I think it was an excellent idea to have her husband sing to her.
Zendaya – Val wins for most improved choreography of the season. Do you think Bruno had to pay for using the song Venus?
Aly – It was her best dance, but it still didn’t excite me.
Andy – Awww, I love Andy & Sharna. All of my votes went there way.
Ingo – I think spending time with Kym is bringing out his accent. He tries really hard and I am fond of people who give it their all.
Sean – His dance was a bit… weird. It was pretty awkward.
D.L. – Is it possible that Cheryl is finally off her year long period!?!
Victor – He needs to go. I honestly didn’t like even the slightest iota of their routine.
Lisa – I hope she doesn’t pull out.

I apologize for the atrocious grammar that is probably a frequent in my post.

Hmmmm..where to begin! I think Val and Zendaya were def at the top although her being soooo skinny and tall is starting to work against her. I have realized also that kellie dances better in rehearsal than the live show- week after week she looks amazing in the studio but has yet to bring it totally to the http://ow.ly/jFwIQ dance floor. Um…Aly like most nights is just ehhh for me. Marks choreography is just ok- nothing is stand out or makes me remember the dance. Jacoby was decent…as for the rest- I loved Andy’s song, dance, and emotion…for me sharna is the best female choreographer.

LOL – so, finally, after a solid hour of Zendaya and Val pimping Val for the pro dance, Derek tweets that he doesn’t know what it’s for but, hey, #proderek. Ya know, that’s a bad sign – if he doesn’t really GET it, something tells me that whoever wins (Val and Karina) will have to choreograph something on the fly later tonight. WHY??

Anyway, Courtney liked this show WAY better than I did. I’m very grumpy and it shows in my blog that will be appearing sometime tomorrow. Whenever I happen to schedule it.

Ok, Courtney. You described perfectly how I felt about Aly’s dance. I really was looking forward to seeing it. I felt meh after seeing it. Cried during Andy’s routine. My husband came into the room and asked me what was wrong with me and I could not talk. Just pointed to the TV and he rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. It still is bringing out the tears just thinking about it.

Great recap of the night. I must say, this kind of theme night often leads to manufactured pathos and maudlin stories, but I actually felt most of the stories were sincere and touching.

The most touching to me personally were Andy, Jacoby and Kellie’s. Andy’s been great but sometimes a little too intense and the constant addiction story was getting stale, but the addition of his daughter and his desire to dance for her the way she used to for him was really touching. It didn’t feel contrived for the camera, and it could have easily come across that way.

I thought it was very moving that Jacoby doesn’t want his child to grow up fatherless the way he did, all too often that history is repeated in the next generation, and I have an increased respect for him seeing his devotion to his son. His solo when he was dancing just for his son was so adorable. And of course the kid was adorable, and his mom crying afterwards. Again, it could have come across as fake for the camera but they are clearly so real.

And I could personally relate to Kellie and her story in a way I never really related to her before. I liked Kellie but I didn’t feel like I really related to her she’s just so country and I’m so not. But my history and relationship with my husband is very similar to hers. And the song her husband sang and wrote for her was beautiful. Very touching night, and I’m not that easily touched.

Gave all my votes to Andy and Sharna tonight. Beautiful performance and so much more than I thought Andy was capable of. Was so disappointed in Victor and Lindsay, guessing they’ll go home tomorrow. Lisa and Gleb will probably get a bunch of sympathy votes and be safe – unless Lisa drops out.

Sean & Peta: I’m just so BORED with these two! I mean, I’m sure Sean’s a nice guy, and I’m sure they’ll be safe, but come on! Maybe it is just because he can’t get some of the more difficult choreography, but I would think that’s partly Peta’s fault for not really working with him to get it! They’ll be safe no doubt.

Victor & Lindsay: I love these two, but DAYUM. The judges were generous to these two. No doubt about it, Victor completely blanked on the choreography. I was expecting somewhat of a drop from last week’s scores, but not that much. Plus, Mya reigns supreme with her Paso to that song, so I might have been biased that he couldn’t pull it off. But that’s not being fair.

Jacoby & Karina: Omg, Jacoby is charm personified, basically. I was a bit worried about this Foxtrot simply because Jacoby + Ballroom = Not a pretty picture in my head, but he pulled it off! I was honestly expiating three 7s after what the judges were saying, but I will gladly accept three 8s for that dance!

Aly & Mark: I actually really like this, and I’m really beginning to love Contemporary. I also might be biased again with this one because I just freaking love Titanium, and the acoustic version they used really helped them, I thought. Without a doubt, Aly’s best dance.

Andy & Sharna: Wowie, wow, wow. Andy was just so endearing tonight. I really couldn’t help but love him. My mom chastised Carrie Ann for crying, but it looks like we both don’t have hearts because our eyes were dry. lol But I did pick up the phone for Andy this week because he truly deserves to stick around.

Zendaya & Val: Zendayum and Val are back, that’s for sure! Who cares about the solo? I sure didn’t. That samba was just unlike any samba I’ve ever seen before, and I really mean that. I just love this girl, and I stand by what I said last week: There’s not going to be a dance that she cannot do.

Ingo & Kym: Okay, A Thousand Years is my ultimate guilty pleasure song, so I’m kind of upset it was chosen by a star I could care less for. I mean the story was sweet, and I did think he improved this week, but, like Sean, I’m just so bored when I watch him.

DL & Cheryl: Well, the world is ending. I really liked the song, actually, DL at least got that right, but damn, Cheryl’s choreography was tacky, and the crawling on the floor? The most tacky thing I’ve seen on the show in a long time. I’m gonna say he’s safe as well, but I really, really, really, really want him gone.

Kellie & Derek: I was actually kind of pissed this didn’t get a 10. I didn’t really see much “clipped” movements, but I guess I can kind of see where that happened. Kellie is really turning into a wonderful dancer and I want her to continue to grow and just really take off.

Lisa & Gleb: Lisa, I know you won’t read this, but please, for the love of God, get some sleep! You said that you were in this to have fun, but I saw her having no fun this week. Granted, she did faint, and that put her on edge, but seriously, sleep is a good thing. The poor thing forget some choreography, but that’s the price she and Gleb had to pay for being under rehearsed, unfortunately. I can see her withdrawal being a possibility, but I wouldn’t really count on it.

Sean: For some odd.. odd reason I almost liked this dance. I just felt like he was being honest in this dance. As awkward as it was, I kinda liked it just a little bit. Nevertheless, the scores were pretty damn fair. (Still don’t like you Peta)

Victor: Such a hot mess. Such a shame. It was hard to see really. I also think Lindsay did most of the dancing but you can’t blame her, he looked so lost out there. I expect him to either be eliminated tomorrow or in the bottom two.

Jacoby: Please don’t hate me.. I liked it.. he impressed me with it .. however…. I thought it was a bit forgettable. Something, idk what.. it was missing and as well as he did I found myself not really caring for this dance much (though his son is one of the cutest little baby ever).

Aly: Yeah she did great. She was good.. blah blah blah. Next please. I lost hope already. She isn’t wowing me at all. I dont care how good this was in terms of technique it was SO plain and quite frankly, very boring.

Andy: Made me cry. Beautiful. Best V. Waltz of the night IMO. Although obviously, not technically great but besides that… the best of the night.

Zendaya: Loved it. Her and Val just look too good together, Icant get over it. I didnt like the lighting though… am i the only one who thought it was too dark? And it didnt help Val was in all black. But anyways.. I loved it. Would have given it all 9s

Ingo: These two are WAY too forgettable. I didnt care for this dance too much. Im not even sure if he really did that good or not cause I can barely remember it.. But good on him for getting 8s

D.L: Improved.. but overscored. At the end of the dance i was just asking myself “wtf?!” … just me? 😛

Kellie: God shes gorgeous. The dance was gorgeous. Didnt feel much like a Rumba to me but I still liked it a lot. She seemed a bit stiff around the waist but idk I still like it. Kyles a great singer btw.

Lisa: Poor thing.. she tried. Oh well if she doesn’t withdraw she might get eliminated. 🙁

I actually liked tonight’s show! 🙂 Yay! and I’m all for #ProDerek / #ProVal and #ProSharna

Kellie and Derek- Wow, this was the dance of the night in my opinion. Her moves are so artistic like Carrie Ann mentioned. She was so elegant and romantic. Just breathtaking! 29

Zendaya and Val – There were times, this dance didn’t really feel like a Samba? It felt a little weird, but, she was so fluid as always and charming. Her legs are amazing and she’s got that magic touch to every dance which puts her stamp on it. 27

Jacoby and Karina – I wasn’t feeling this dance at first and thought it seemed a little stiff until right before his solo and then wham, he turned it on like no tomorrow. I loved how he added his own style to it at the end. He was quick, in the moment, and having fun. 26

Andy and Sharna – I just loved these two once again. This dance and story was full of emotion and passion. He was light on his feet. I loved Sharna’s choreography….especially the solo when Andy reminded me of a doll in a music box with his creative turns. Just stunning. I just want to stand up and applaud them every time. They make me cry. I’m so proud of them both. 24

Ingo and Kym – What a smooth and elegant, romantic dance by these two. I loved his glides and foot work. Once again, the passion was all over too…he and Kym’s greatest strength. 24

Mark and Aly – I was shocked when the judges gave this dance 9’s. She improved some and I loved the gymnastic moves, but, I saw a lot of clumsy parts too. She still lacks connection and emotion. 21

Sean and Peta – When they first started dancing, I thought he seemed better tonight. However, the more he danced, the more he went down hill. His arms and turns were so stiff and off. It may be his worse dance yet I’m afraid. He’s getting worse, not any better. 17

Lindsay and Victor – These two lost me again tonight. Like D.L. (see below), he didn’t really dance. It looked to me like they concentrated too much on his faces versus on dancing. 16

D.L. And Cheryl – Did he ever really dance? I don’t count crawling along the floor and just standing there dancing. It’s clear what Cheryl is trying to do. She knows the more he moves, the more he will fail. So, why not have him stand or crawl while she dances around him? The one good thing though is that he was more confident and relaxed out there, but, I’m not sure I liked the ‘in your face’ feel to it? 15

Gleb and Lisa – I feel so sorry for these two. If she didn’t get sick and had more time to prepare, they might have done better? Like Court, I’m worried this could be it? It’s like she’s giving up and the pressure has totally got to her. 15

Courtney, I do not know Latin ballroom that well. Zendaya and Val were holding hands and did some footwork side by side, really fast. What was that called? I have no way to describe it other than some really fast footwork. Hope you can help.

I thought tonight’s show was better than last week’s. My favorite dances of the night were Andy and Sharna’s and Zendaya and Val’s. I thought Andy and Sharna’s dance was beautiful and endearing. I wish the judges had given them 8’s instead of 7’s. I thought Zendaya and Val were great. I really liked their samba even though I knew Len was going to be hard on them for not having enough samba content.

I liked Derek and Kellie’s rumba too, but I also felt that it lacked fluidity. I also liked Mark and Aly’s contemporary dance, but once again, I felt that it wasn’t memorable and perhaps, a bit overscored.

Victor and Lindsay’s paso doble was very messy to me so I think that he will probably be in the bottom two tomorrow night along with Lisa.

Well, I’m not 100% happy with my favorites dances tonight. I felt that both Jacoby and Zendaya’s didn’t feel very foxtrot and samba to me. Wish there were more in hold in Jacoby’s and more samba moves with Zendaya’s. Kellie kind of reminds me of Erin Andrews, her legs/feet sometimes got stuck in places. Maybe it’s a cheerleader thing. I’m just nitpicking here since all three dances were really good compared to others.

My favorites tonight were Aly’s and Andy’s. I really enjoyed Aly’s and felt that it’s the first contemporary that really felt like one. I cried at the end of Andy’s dance, it was so heart-felt. Hopefully he’s not in trouble this week! I think Victor is going home tomorrow. I loved that he kissed Jacoby after Kellie’s dance. Jacoby wasn’t too happy bout it tho.. 😀

I enjoyed Zendaya’s, Kellie’s, & Jacoby’s stories and dances, but Andy’ was the dance of the night for me. I touched me deeply….I’m still teary-eyed. I love how CAI described it. It was simple but beautiful & touching. Sharna is amazing and I loved the moment between her and Andy right before he started his solo. I think he was either underscored or others were overscored. And again I’ll be screaming at my TV tomorrow night if he is in the bottom two.

While Ally had her best dance so far, it was pretty much what I expected and didn’t really blow me out of the water. I’m just not feeling her.

I don’t even know where i want to start. For the most part, I enjoyed the show tonight. Some of the “best year” was just too corny for me. When Sean started rambling on how his life didn’t start until he had met his fiance made me roll my eyes. That’s the best you can do? I want to see these two actually get married and stay married for a good long while and then maybe I’d believe it. Didn’t like his dance either. I think he’s still too stiff and just stomps around. At least Peta had an actual dress on tonight.

I enjoyed Andy so much. I had tears in my eyes. You could see how much he loves his daughter and the song was perfect. He works so well with Sharna and she seems to understand what needs to be done to bring out the best in him. I’m glad he received the scores he did and hope he’s safe. He should be. He knows that he has no chance of winning, but he wants to stay as long as possible. I hope he gets that chance.

I liked Kellie’s dance. It brought tears to my eyes too, but not quite like Andy’s. She’s moves effortlessly and makes it looks so easy.

Aly was better than she’s been and she seems to be loosening up a bit. I do agree that Mark seems to be playing it safe and I would like to see him challenge her more.

Victor was not good tonight. There wasn’t enough dancing, just walking around. I think he’s going to be in the bottom two.

Unfortunately, DL will probably be safe again. Yes, his dance did improve from his previous ones, but it still was not good.

I feel bad for Lisa. She’s really trying, she wants to be there and this week did not help her cause. Her dance wasn’t bad, but it would have been better if she hadn’t felt so sick all week. I’m thinking she’s in the bottom two with Victor.

I can’t remember much about Ingo’s dance, just that it was for his wife. That doesn’t say much for him.

For Zendaya, I really, really want to see her dance first, or at the very least, be one of the first three. She’s been in the second half of the show since the start and I think it’s time for a change. She’s another one that I did an eye roll when she said what her best year was. Sometimes, to me, she looks awkward. She doesn’t look like she’s grown into her body yet, her arms and legs are so long. I’m not saying she isn’t good, she’s not going anywhere, but shake things up and have her dance in the first half of the show.

I’m still waiting to see what all of the hype is about Jacoby, because I’m still not getting it. His son was adorable though. He needs to stop making those silly faces behind Brooke. I know a lot of viewers find that cute, but that makes me turn away more.

So, bottom two are Victor and Lisa with Victor leaving. Lisa will get too many sympathy votes to be voted out.

It was an interesting night.
Chachachoocoo love the “hyper Mark” comment and myself in a strange way would like to see him return-at least for one dance.
Emotion wise Andy, Kellie & Jacoby were the best for me. Noone was perfect tonight or deserving of a 10, jmo.

Well, this “Best year of my life” seemed to me like the “I’m not old enough to have a best year/I’m too old but I’ll talk about a recent year” theme. But, *sigh* anyways. Here are my thoughts:

Sean & Peta – LOOOOOOOVED the disappointment face from Peta when they got their scores. She really really thought they could get higher scores. HA! Poor thing. As for the dance, awkward, overdancing from Peta and lots and lots of fog. Just MEH.

Victor & Lindsay – Darn. I was hoping for a great dance, based on what he did (sort of) last week. The look Lindsay had today made her look totally a 19-year-old girl. It was hard to watch, painful. I’m sad for this two.

Jacoby & Karina – I don’t know why but I keep forgetting his dances. I think it was ok, because of their score. I have to agree that his story with his kid was kinda charming.

Aly & Mark – Although a good contemporary, I’m missing something. As some of you have said, Mark’s choreography is nothing like when he was with Chelsea. Nonetheless, it was an improvement in the emotional connection department.

Andy & Sharna – SECOND BEST DANCE OF THE NIGHT. Andy’s emotions, happiness, movement and connection with Sharna melted my heart. Have I said before that Sharna is B E A U T I F U L? God, that girl is just perfect and a great teacher and choreographer. She’s showing the best of Andy and he’s giving her the opportunity to stand out and give a fresh air to the group of Pros. I’m kinda worry right now for some of the “old” female pros (Anna, specifically). But, leaving my fears aside, Sharna is becoming America’s Sweetheart.

Zendaya & Val – Really?? Love on top for a Samba? I would’ve choose “End of Time” or “Run The World” from the same album, giving the dance a chance to showcase her ability. Also I didn’t love the wardrobe, all black didn’t let us appreciate her long, long, long legs. The samba was the best dance to do that.

Ingo & Kym – Forgettable, awkward. I can live and continue to live without them in the show.

D.L. & Cheryl – I expected failure and I got a week 1-leveled dance. I’m sad for Cheryl, is her necessity of being in the spotlight that big? I even unfollowed her on Twitter. It’s just sad. Kuddos for D.L., though.

Kellie & Derek – I know that I’m a Derek’s fan freak. But, oh Lord, have mercy! The lines, the extensions, the emotional connection, the perfect mood, the perfecto song and the perfect singer. When it started and I saw the lighting, I thought “Noo, a copy from Maria’s rumba” (one of my favorite rumbas, btw), but then Kellie gave such a great performance. I hope she would move more her hips, that’s the only “but” I found. Oh, and what a great choice from Derek for not going shirtless. And above all of these: BEST DANCE OF THE NIGHT.

Lisa & Gleb – As many of you expose here, they did stretch the “will she dance?” thing too far. Poor Lisa, I hope she stays one more week (I can’t stop looking at Gleb, he’s just so… *sigh* you know what I’m talking about).

I’m loving this new activity of mine, be active in this site and chat and post about a show that gives exposure to my passions: dancing and ballroom. Love y’all! *with Kellie’s accent*.

Had a feeling tonight would be Aly’s night. She deserved the 9s imo. I love the edge in Mark’s choreography this season too. It took courage for Lisa to step on the stage feeling like crap and not really knowing the routine. I think it would have been a lot easier to throw in the towel. I’d love to see another dance from her, but not if her health’s at risk.

Jacoby was probably the surprise of the evening for me. He did much better with the foxtrot than I expected. Zendaya is Zendaya, the girl’s amazing. Carrie Ann was right imo, she sold that dance. I’m not sure what Len was thinking with that 8 paddle. I also thought Ingo is showing continued improvement. Still a bit rough, but I see potential. Kellie has beautiful extension. I feel like Derek is focusing too much on showing how beautifully she can pose at the expense of movement though, which they got called on. Like some here want to like Aly, I want to like Andy and I do like him a lot as a person and am touched by his story, but I’m just not feeling the dance.

My thoughts are the same that so many of you have expressed regarding Andy and Sharna’s dance and I had the same reaction as CAI and many of you did. I cried and found it so touching. Right after that would be both Jacoby/Karina and Kellie/Derek. I didn’t know how Jacoby would do tonight, but he surprised me and did well IMO. I loved his solo part and love how he wants to be a good father to his adorable baby boy. Kellie and Derek dancing to her husband’s song as he sang to her was beautiful. Dance wise I didn’t think Jacoby/Kellie or Zandaya were perfect. I am glad some of the rest of you mentioned Zandaya and that dance being a complete Samba. I am not an expert, but somehow it seemed different than the others I have seen. Someone mentioned that Zandaya is always in the bottom half and I wondered about that same thing. Aly and Mark’s dance while good something still seemed to be missing for me.

Going to what I call my 2nd half of dancers would be Ingo and Kym. Was probably his best dance and I do see improvement, but something is still missing – maybe chemistry? Sean and Peta I still say IMO doesn’t have musicality and I think that may be why he gets to a point where he seems to be rushing to get through things. I mentioned last week I saw Sean and Peta doing a lift and now I know why CAI didn’t mention it or the others until tonight. When CAI called Gleb out for it he seemed puzzled about it. Regardless, tonight was so wrong to say something to him for that. I was wondering if picking up your partner and carrying them was considered something different than when you are being spun around and your leg comes off the floor? DL and Cheryl – DL did dance better, but he still looks so unhappy and mad at times that I can’t figure out if he really wants to be there or not. I had been wondering if Len knows how much a person practices and may have thought DL was not putting in enough of effort and was one of the reasons he was so hard on him (not that he was right to talk that way). Tonight Len did mention that he knew DL put more time in. Who knows with Len or any of these judges. Victor and Lindsay I have to say I so wanted them to do good and was disappointed that it didn’t end up that way. I put Lisa and Gleb in that same category. She was sick and didn’t get to practice, but I still wonder if she really wants to be there as well. I have no idea who is going home.

When Bruno told Lisa that if she makes it that he wants to see what she can do, and hen Lisa turned to look at Gleb….it reminded me of the look Dorothy gave Tristan after they were called safe last Tuesday. I feel she wants out and we might get another “doctors orders” exit saving DL, Victor, or Andy. (Andy & Victor, I don’t mind, although I’m thinking Victor isn’t really enjoying this that much).

Do you think DL has realized he’s becoming the Bristol Palin on season 16? LOL

Andy, Andy, Andy……..brought tears to my eyes. Then, when CAI started crying, I got worse because I know she was remembering her father who passed away just before the season began and it was a father/daughter dance. 🙁

Besides Andy, still loving my op three Zendaya/Jacoby/Kellie, in no particular order.

Aly – the only time I woke up during their segment was when I saw three 9’s and had to rewind and check. I agree with others, even if it was technically correct, and I wouldn’t know about such things, the poor girl just bores me to no end.
Unfortunately, Ingo and Victor fall in the same category for me, as nice as they are.

D.L. – Probably staying at least another week. Didn’t see much dancing.

Lisa – Even though she doesn’t mover as fast or well as the younger ones, I’d take Lisa to stay over Victor, D.L., Ingo, Aly and Sean. She’s fun and down-to-earth and she has Gleb. 🙂 At least if Gleb goes next, he’s definitely made a mark his first season and people (me) want to see him again. I would love to see him with a young, really good mover.

Sean – Everyone else said it and I don’t see it changing. Awkward mover. If Peta could make Gilles become a worse dancer than he naturally was then I don’t see Sean faring any better.

As far as the pro dance, I would love to see Karina and Gleb or Karina and Derek. I wouldn’t mind, dance-wise, Karina and Val but I’m worried the personal Maks/Karina baggage would put an awkward damper on two amazing dancers although I think Val and Karina are too professional to make it personal.

Aly: Loved the Contemporary but don’t think it deserved 27. Either they should have been tied with Kellie and Z or Z should have gotten 27. Either way. Pretty good dance.

Zendaya: SAMBA FIERCE is an understatement. WOW! UNDERSCORED See above.

Kellie: Beautiful dance but I think her hubby there watching her dance to their song (that he was singing) with another man….can you say AWKWARD! I think that’s what hurt her technically a little bit.

Lisa: Kudos for going out there and giving it her all even though she was not feeling well. And two thumbs up (I would give him 3 if I had them) to Gleb for the natural way he cared about her. However 2 (or 3) THUMBS DOWN to CarrieAnn for nailing him on a “lift” when it clearly was him helping a sick woman down the stairs. UGH! Well wishes for her and I certainly hope she doesn’t have to withdraw but I fear the worst. If this happens it will be the first time I can remember that three woman have been the first three to leave.

Sean–all I can say is EH!

Jacoby–his son is adorable and he really did a good job for him and Karina looked beautiful.

Andy–to move CAI to tears…wow. Best performance for him thus far. He deserves to stay.

Ingo–Beautiful dance his best thus far in my opinion. Still kind of middle of the road.

Victor–I believe that if they were to go home solely based on judge’s scores and effort, that he should go home this week. In my opinion Lisa (while ill and supposedly having a “lift”) danced better than Victor. Victors was a whole lot of walking around and I didn’t see much PD content while at least Lisa gave it her best effort under the circumstances.

Don’t get your hopes up on the pro dance, Ashley. I believe Derek and Karina were winning (per Tom as well) until Zendaya started spamming twitter for Val. And Val started spamming twitter for Val.

I think they told Val he won at about midnight my time (10 pm in the west) cuz that when he repeated started tweeting “My fans are the best”. :::rolls eyes::: Curious though – what are they going to do with little to no rehearsal??

I’m kinda scared that Lisa won’t be able to continue 🙁 Did anyone else get that vibe from her when she was talking to Brooke tonight? I kinda think she’ll be saved with the votes but might announce that she won’t be continuing on, like Dorothy did.

I had trouble with my satelite going in and out last night, so I missed a couple of things, but for me, Andy and Sharna were just the best. Technically the best dancers, no. But the emotion, the honesty and the happiness just shone through.

I love how Sharna is able to work with Andy, and really seems to get the best from him.

I very much enjoy reading this board because of the very knowledgeable posts. Most here know a lot more about dance than I do. Thank you for sharing!

Last night I thought Aly did a fantastic job, but might have been slightly over-scored. Z was excellent as usual, but I am not a fan of hers. Jacoby was very much over-scored. His dance was just not that good. Victor did not do well at all. Andy was charming.

Kellie is my favorite and she was absolutely beautiful, as was her husband’s song for her. I thought her scores were about right, except that she may have deserved all 9’s.

Derek gets a lot of criticism here and on other boards for over-dancing his partners. Last night he did not do that. I thought he really choreographed that dance to showcase Kellie’s flexibility and stunning lines. So, kudos to Derek for taking a back seat, so to speak, and letting Kellie and her husband be the stars of the dance and the music. Theirs is a very heart-warming story.

WOW! Just WOW! Another memorable performance by Andy and Sharna. There is something so raw and genuine about Andy, and I find myself not being able to take my eyes off of him and Sharna, from their package right into their performance. Definitely BEST dance of the night by miles. Makes me miss my Daddy…..

DL’s foxtrot was just plain ridiculous. Enough said.

I know, I might get some slack for this… But Geeez, I have seen enough bare chests already this season. Keep your damn shirt on and just dance, please.

Sean?…well, he is awkward and stiff….and unfortunately, with Peta he isn’t going to get any better……Aly?….OVERSCORED…my first thought is, she must not be getting the votes and that is why they overscored her….love Andy and Sharna…..he wants to be doing this so badly….should he win, no but I truly hope he stays around for a while…DL???….that was pathetic…..he is full of excuses and Cheryl is jumping on the bandwagon with him….he needs to be gone…..Kellie and Derek…it was beautiful but I thought a bit off…I think having your husband singing to you while dancing so intimately with another man probably had Kellie’s mind distracted…..Zendaya and Val?…very cute, I’m liking Val so much more this year than last…all that fake showmance stuff got old….although I don’t like how they are manipulating all the twitter stuff…..if Val won the male favorite pro thing….DWTS needs to drop the twitter stuff……Zendaya has too many followers….everything will be tilted towards them………Jacoby’s story was touching…dance was cute…???…..rest of them…can’t even remember them…??????

Sandy, #34, I agree. Guys keep your shirts on, Peta, wear a dress. I did say bottom two would be Victor and Lisa, but I’m holding out hope that it will be Victor, Sean or DL. DL just needs to leave. Horrible attitude, and such inappropriate comments. I think he would happy to go, and as a bonus, Cheryl would go with him!

Andy and Sharna were definitely the stand outs. Kellie and Zendaya were a little off, but still outstanding. Jacoby was fun, but I did not love this dance. Aly did a great job, but I’m beginning to think it’s not that Aly’s boring, it’s the lack of interest by Mark. I kept thinking during her dance that she was doing an incredible job, but the routine was boring. Mark seems complacent and not really invested in the season. Maybe he needs to take some time off so he can invest fully in his music career. The rest was kind of blur as none of them really stood out beyond these 5.

Had tears running down my face during the intro package and dance of Andy and Sharna. Glad to hear everyone else was moved by it because I was feeling like a big old sap. You know, his movements weren’t ballroom perfect but the emotion behind the movement made that not matter. We know Sharna is a creative choreographer but now we know she is a smart one too. She didn’t put a lot of hard technical steps that would overwhelm Andy and make the emotional impact of the dance suffer.
Poor Lisa looked like she just wanted to find the nearest large rock and crawl under it. I can’t imagine competing on this this show while having the flu. I agree that it’s highly likely she will pull out Tuesday night.
Zendaya was wonderful. Love watching her dance. I hated her costume though. Was I the only one who was expecting her to rip off those ugly pants to reveal a fringe skirt underneath?
Jacoby dances with such joy. For such a big man he’s so light on his feet. Karina seems downright giddy to have him as partner. I love seeing Karina so happy.
There were moments during Kellie’s dance when she would hit a certain pose and I would literally breathe out “oohh!”.

At least Val appears to be a bit more talented than his brother in terms of choreo. I generally dig his choreo this season, although I do find the hypocrisy in some quarters annoying – some people who loved Val’s non-Samba Samba are very likely the same ones that gave Derek and Shawn crap for their out of the box dances. But I’m learning to live with that. 🙂 Slowly.

I will have to watch the show back, but my *general* feeling is that the judges are doing better with the scoring on at least the upper half of the group. There was some over scoring at the bottom end, but they’ve always had a generosity in terms of really crap dancing. And I think it’s clear they’re trying a bit of reverse psychology on the whole DL thing – another thing that they regularly do.

Mark is certainly different this season…not sure why. He spent more time tweeting about his gig after the show than the show itself, which is fine, but could be part of the problem with Aly. He also seems much tighter with Derek than he has been in a very long time – not sure what difference that makes, it’s just something I noticed. He definitely doesn’t seem driven or crazed to win this season – which is a good thing, in a way. I guess he seems more…Zen. We’ll see if it lasts. 🙂

I read a little bit of Annie’s EW recap and she said something really interesting – a connection I hadn’t made – about how it’s interesting that Aly gets Contemporary on the personal stories week which allows Mark to put in a beautiful floor routine as a solo. Coincidence?? I tend to doubt it. Combine that with what Peta said, (paraphrasing) “This week we have V. Waltz. And it’s personal stories week.” Like the two things did NOT go together. Supposedly, they pick a song that means something to them and then the dance comes out of the song. We know they’ve tinkered before, I wonder how much tinkering is going on here. Very curious.

I think technically Zendaya probably had the best dance of the night, her story just kind of pales in comparison a little bit when everyone else is going a little deeper. Not her fault, just a consequence of the game.

Andy’s story was touching, but to be perfectly honest I still cant get behind the guy. I have crazy amounts of respect that hes turning his life around but his previous actions cast a large black shadow over him. Which might explain him continually hovering around the bottom. Regardless I dont think he should be going home this week and he could stick around for a while.

I think among the top 4 of Zendaya, Kellie, Aly and Jacoby as long as no one messes up royally and they are all within a few points of each other scores arent really going to matter for a few weeks. Between dance ability, likability and fan bases I cant really see anyone edging into that top 4.

I know I’m showing my total geek-a-tude here, but I just re-watched the DL dance. He moved his feet a total of 81 times (I may be off a couple of steps one way or the other due to camera angels). Not counting the crawling, he stood still or sat for longer than he actually moved. I understand that Cheryl doesn’t have a great dancer to work with, but really. 😛
and I guess I can see why Peta was not happy about V. Waltz for personal week if that meant solo week. V. Waltz was rough on most solos. The only one I thought was well done was Andy’s.

#43-I noticed that about Mark to, before the season stared he would tweet about him and aly mutiple times a day and how much fun there having, how hard there working, etc. but now its more about his music and gig. I think he knows he does not have a real good shot at winning this season after seeing the other dancers. Also someone mention how they want the crazy chelsea kane mark back, i think alys really sweet and a good dancer and all but maybe mark knows she coulnt handle that kind of cheorgraphy which is why hes not throwing it at her.

The other thing I caught last night – right after Kellie finished dancing and they showed the celebriquarium – Victor leaned over and Kissed Jacoby on the cheek. LOL. anyone else catch that? Jacoby looked totally off guard and moved away. snicker.

1. Kellie & Derek- Really enjoyed the emotion of the dance. She is great technically, but agree with the judges about it being a little choppy.

2. Zendaya & Val- Was the dance good? Yes. Did I like the dance? No. She performed it well, but I wasn’t a fan of it. I felt her solo wasn’t enough Samba.

3. Aly & Mark- Really enjoyed that she’s starting to show emotion. I think Mark can do better with the choreography as said about. Also thought her solo was expected. Wish Mark would have decided to go in the opposite direction with that. We know she can do flips. Didn’t he learn anything from being partnered with Shawn?

4. Jacoby & Karina- Didn’t expect that much from him with the Foxtrot. I think I remember Karina saying that he was struggling with the frame so I was pleasantly surprised. Didn’t enjoy the song too much for the dance.

5. Andy & Sharna- Thought they deserved better scores. He just keeps getting better. Don’t have much to say other than that I just love him.

7. Sean & Peta- I really like Sean so it’s hard to see him doing so poorly. You can tell he’s just over thinking everything. Wish Peta would step it up with the choreography.

8. Victor & Lindsay- I think Lindsay’s choreography was better this week an only time will help her improve as a pro. I think it could have been a much better dance had Victor not made very visible mistakes. I think they really threw him off.

9. DL & Cheryl- What was with his solo? There was no dancing at all. I felt like that all he was doing was walking with her. I’m hope there’s an agenda and they scored him higher to help lower the pity votes.

10. Lisa & Gleb- Not too much to say. Poor Lisa. I’m thinking she might be dropping out as well. Based on the fact that she didn’t decide to dance until 15 minutes before going on has got to say that she really can’t do too much more.

I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who thought Aly was overscored. I love the song and I think Mark had some really original choreo that helped convey her Olympic journey, but all I remember with her were her gymnastic moves instead of any dancing!
Andy and Sharna I felt were underscored big time! I really hope the judges have him do the encore dance, as it was not only a beautiful dance done with such love, but with a great message especially for families affected by addiction. There is hope for better days!
I have to say I didn’t like Jacoby’s song and really didn’t think that much of Karina’s choreo until he did his solo for his baby, then I was just really touched by him and how natural he appeared. He got the right score also, IMO.
Sean and Peta really need to go. I hope they leave tonight, because I get no enjoyment from them and really haven’t seen him improving. At least D.L has had some small improvement, plus he is funny. But his solo was awful! Cheryl really needs a break, cause that choreo was pathetic IMO! Victor did more boxing than dancing moves. It’s too bad he didn’t get Karina or even Sharna, cause I think he could really have done better with a different partner.
Ingo and Kym I also think were underscored. Even when the judges notice that he takes their advice, they don’t give him anything for his efforts! Plus, he really isn’t standing out from the crowd and I don’t think he has the fan support to last much longer.
Now here is what irks me most. Zendaya, the hip-hop dancer, and Val did a very entertaining dance, but not as Len would say “a proper samba”. But Len didn’t say anything about that! So I will say that is the strangest samba I can remember seeing! Kellie, a non-dancer, and Derek gave a beautiful rumba that Len criticized for being too “stocatto”. Please tell me why TPTB haven’t tried rotating the judges out a season!
As for Lisa and Gleb, I really can’t see her withdrawing. If anything I think if the fans manage to save them, I can see her possibly getting some renewed hope and maybe more confidence that may help her like it seems to have done for D.L. I can see why they put her in the pimp spot, to cause viewers to wonder if she will or won’t dance-build suspense! But although the dance I felt wasn’t pimp worthy, someone sure looked like they were being pimped as a Maks replacement to me. I just want to add that I don’t think it’s Gleb’s idea to take over a Maks like image. I think TPTB want a pro similar is look and style to Maks, but without the bad, overbearing attitude. I even looked back at earlier vids when Maks first started and he even had his hair in the small little ponytail like Gleb. Some may think “so what”, but I just see too many little similarities for me to think it’s only coinsidence.

I found it interesting last night, that they DIDN’T go with the twitter contest they’d told us last week…. Tom did say something about tweeting your favorite storyline from this week? And instead, it was which 2 pros do you want to see dance tonight… It made me wonder if they HAVE been reading this site and the comments…. So instead of a twitter contest guaranteed to have Zendaya win yet again, they contrived it to be a twitter contest that Zendaya’s partner wins…. And they can say, “See? She doesn’t always win.” (how do you make rolling eyes emoticon?)

I loved Andy’s dance!!! Loved Kellie’s dance. Liked Zendaya’s and Aly’s, but didn’t really love either. Also liked Jacoby’s and Ingo’s. Didn’t like the other ones at all.

PH, I also read Annie’s post over on ew.com. And I also read the comments…. Should believe it, but I can’t, but…. There are people saying they liked Kellie’s dance, but it was too unfair, because they had an outside singer in to sing their song, and everyone else had to use the regular band singers. I was almost surprised that Len didn’t complain about the “excess frippery” with Kyle there singing….

Yep, Lori – Zendaya is a DANCER, but it’s unfair that Kellie had her husband singing. It’s also unfair that she was a roller skating waitress. Next it will be that she’s a blonde. Where were those people when Sean used the troupe last week, eh?? Why aren’t they complaining that Jacoby had his baby there – baby beats singing husband any day.

Interesting night.
IMO Val is trying hard not to “sexualize” his partner, but he might
be going to far in the other direction. That outfit was awful.
Fringie pants or a cute little dress would have been better.
This also is reflected in their dance steps. I would think that
the only dance he should really be concerned about is the rhumba.
Everything else can be modified. Mark was fine with Shawn.
Also, I have to give a shout-out to Lisa. WHAT A BODY. I know she
was sick, but I wished I looked that good.
I think that Tom should make an announcement that they are going to
have a twitter contest every week and just so no one wastes their
time, Val and Z are going to win every week.

Interesting night. Some of it was lovely, and some was awkward and really kind of cringe worthy.

Andy’s dance was the most emotionally compelling for me – the only one that made me cry. I think he did a pretty good job on the dancing as well. But as others have said, it was the emotion he brought to it that really sold it – and that he wasn’t afraid to *express* that emotion in a tangible way. Some of the others probably felt the emotion they were bringing to the dance as strongly as Andy did, but weren’t able to let it into their movements the way Andy did.

Kellie was the best of the night for me, in terms of both dance and emotion. I agree it could have been more fluid – but they lost a day or two of rehearsal due to Kellie needing to travel, and Derek needing to stay to work on his dance for the results show. I think if they had had that extra day, it would have made a big difference. Overall, though, it was just lovely.

Ingo brought emotion to his dance as well, and I think he’s slowly improving. He and Kym go well together. I did think his solo was rather reminiscent of Apolo’s V. waltz solo, though. Of course, there’s probably not much you can do for a waltz solo…

I enjoyed Jacoby’s dance, and I thought it was cool that he chose to dance for his son (vs Super Bowl stuff). His son was *so* cute – and Jacoby can be pretty charming. The best part of his dance, though, was the solo. While he wasn’t a disaster in hold by any means, I think he needs to work on that more.

Zendaya – she’s a good dancer, but I’m rapidly losing interest in her. I can’t get invested in her or in her performances. I didn’t feel much samba in that dance, and I don’t think her costume did her any favors – the waist was too high on those pant, and it almost seemed like she was dancing in stilts or something. Her legs just seemed out of proportion with the rest of her body.

Aly – it was a good dance, technically she did well, but I couldn’t feel anything. It just left me feeling meh. Plus, it seemed like Mark watched a bunch of SYTYCD dances, and pulled out moves that he liked, and strung them together. The move at the end, in particular, with Mark holding on to her feet, really reminded me of a dance Stacy Tookey choreographed for Kathryn and Legacy in Season 6, which was the first season I watched – and that dance they did was the first time I “got” contemporary, because of what the dance made me feel – and Mark and Aly’s dance last night left me feeling nothing. So I was disappointed. I really liked Aly in London, and I was thrilled she got a chance to compete in the all-around – but I’m struggling to connect with her here.

The rest of the dancers…sigh….

I like Lisa, and she did her best with everything that’s going on, but it was not really fun to watch. And Gleb, please keep your shirt on. Thank you.

I want to enjoy Victor and Lindsay, but that was just painful to watch. That being said, I *don’t* think that he should have been scored a full three points less than DL.

Sean – just awkward. Some one said above that Peta seems to be making him a worse dancer, vs better (just like with Gilles) – and I kind of have to agree. He seems like he’s a nice guy, who wants a marriage that works, so my advice to him would be to go focus on that, and on Catherine, instead of trying to hang on to the spotlight.

DL…yes, it was a better dance than his first three, which isn’t saying much. And yes, I was hoping the judges would be constructive in their comments. But what the hell?!! In no way did he deserve the same score as Andy, and a better score than Victor, Sean and Lisa. Three sixes would have still been his best score of the competition – or maybe one seven. But three? He’s *not* at that level of dancing. He’s just not.

So I’m *not* happy with the scores at the bottom. I’m glad no one got a ten – I was afraid that they were going to give one to Aly, with all that “perfect” talk, so I was relieved. And I don’t think she deserved one, nor did anyone else. If Kellie had had a little more fluidity, I think she could have gotten one (or at least deserved one).

Overall, a decent night. I connected with Andy, Kellie, Ingo, and Jacoby’s dances/stories emotionally. Aly and Zendaya were good, but meh as far as connection – and everyone else can leave. Of the bottom four, I’d like to see Lisa stick around the most, but I’ afraid that won’t happen.

i get that everyone is trying and people have limits…so as the pro you have to find your partners strengths and showcase that- even if it is small. As far as choreography- I will say that Peta just has not done it for me since she has become a pro. Week in and week out i just don’t like her dances. I can’t remember the last time i saw a memorable dance from cheryl. It’s literally been seasons. I don’t want to hear about DL being a terrible dancer- because look at Andy, he is not the strongest dancer but i have to commend Sharna. She is bringing great choreo and has been such a refreshing addition this year. I wasn’t all that fond of her in the troupe, but being a pro has shed a much needed light on her. So Kudos to her, Derek, Karina, and Val who i think bring it each week and make the dances innovative and new. For the rest of them…and that includes Kym they need to step it up.

Andy and Sharna have exceeded my expectations of them. I thought they were going to be the weakest couple but they have turned out to be one of the best. Its true that he still needs a lot of work on the technical side but his spirit and motivation to work hard really show through in his dances. That was a beautiful dance for his daughter. Knowing Carrie Ann just lost her father I know it really touched her heart along with many other viewers.

I really like Victor and Lindsey. They have such great personalities and they are so cute together but the paso doble just wasn’t their best dance unfortunately. He looked too passive for a dance that requires aggression and it seems like he missed a few steps as well. I’m really worried he might be the one going home.

I am so glad DL is improving. I thought the dance was good but I agree that the solo was a little weird. Maybe they were going for the comedy aspect. I don’t mind if the dance is simple because he can’t handle anything really difficult right now. If they stay in the competition they need to continue to focus on the technical side more. Anyway, I can understand why people find his personality off putting. I’ve been watching him since I was a kid so I’m used to his personality and his type of humor so it doesn’t bother me. I think I remember reading that DL has never seen the show before so maybe he was really surprised by how harsh the judges comments(I’m not even going to call them criticisims)were. I wish he wouldn’t take them so personally but overall I think he and Cheryl have been good in showing the judges that they are working really hard to improve. DL knows he can’t dance, its no surprise to him. He came on this show to learn and improve on his dancing skills. As long as he continues to do that I will be supporting him.

Just adding that it was kind of awkward to have DL’s package focused on “sticking it to the judges” instead of the best year of his life. I’m not even sure why he picked the year he did, or why it was special, or how the dance related in any way to that year…I ending up cringing during the package as well as the dance.

Quoting Carrie Anne: “Beyonce better watch her baaack!” LOL! 🙂
I agree with judges saying Zendaya’s Samba was “unconventional” and “a hip, slick, Samba for today”.
I agree with someone’s comment earlier about the lighting… it was hard to see Z/V’s moves because the background was black & the costumes were black & Zendaya wasn’t wearing a normal Samba “feathered” costume that shows off the shaking. Still, this Samba was #1 in my book.

Last nights show had some great moments and then some other moments. Just randomly, I think Mark is distracted by other things but mostly bec he realizes that Aly will not improve that much. She was overscored last night, even the gymn. moves done with Mark were not smooth She just doesn’t have the musicality or bounce that SJ did and SJ could mimic Derek almost perfoectly step for step. Batchelor-dude is so bad and boring. DL is just bad and both were overscored. Poor Vic, getting no-where-might have done a little better with a diff pro. He has as compelling a story as Kellie but…. Ingo I just never remember anything..meh. Lisa too much of a strain but she looks great even sick. Andy, just pulling for him to stay awhile cause I think it’s great for his ego and he is much better to watch than several others. Touching to watch Sharna deal with him. Still don’t get the Jacoby bandwagon, his dance quality needs a lot of work and often not crazy about his personality. Zend,awkward looking at times, a total ringer and attitude. Even if I liked her the working-right-now-as-a-pro- dancer and the twitter pimping and other games by her employers outweighs anything good for me. Kellie may have suffered a bit from losing a day of rehearsal but she still deserved 9′ and maybe one 10 but I only saw one move that looked “stacato”but it looked like it fit as emphasis to me. And of course it is about at this point where the judges/show?? start going after DH’s partners especially if they look like they are getting really good. I am worried about her upcoming travel schedule, tho. Derek could design routines for her that would be perfection but she has to have the studio time to polish them. She and Andy and the way Derek and Sharna presented their stories with such thoughtfulness and care just brought me to tears

Well Andy’s weeks are probably numbered, and I felt that he should have had the encore in week 2, and he didn’t, and probably this week as well. So it going to another contestant would be unfortunate for me.

I guess this twitter thing is larger than I had expected. I had better just suck it up and realize that this season fans like I, just don’t matter any longer.

I wonder how they are going to fit everything in tonight. 2 musical guests, ATT Spotlight performance, girls number, encore, twitter pro dance, and results? Gosh that is a (unnecessary) jam packed show. If they are going to do this twitter votes for pro dance I wish it were at least for next week so we could get a well thought out routine.

I have been keeping my distance this week because I am not feeling well and pain sucks and makes me well snarky doesn’t cover it so I thought keeping my opinion to myself would be best but I just had to comment on a couple of things from last night.

1) Andy might not be a dancer but what he did last night went beyond dance and struck that emotional heart of dance that this show has lacked many times.

That right there is why I do not cheer on D.L. and Cheryl and their “the judges are against me” act. Andy puts his heart into it and last night a bit of his soul. D.L. basically told the judges to kiss his Buttocks in his solo last night.

I also noticed Len making the comment that D.L. rehearsed more this week so that tells me if it is week four and he is just now showing up to the game and if he is safe over Andy tonight because of that then well there is no hope for this show I and I do give up. I know this show is supposed to be about dancing and voting for the best dancer but it is also about putting yourself out there.

There is a handful of celebrities on the show that do that. That actually are tyring to learn and put themself out there. And I am sorry for starting this but Zendaya is so not Beyonce. Not Little Beyonce. Can only dream of being Beyonce. Grow up some and then start calling yourself Beyonce lite.

2) Lisa the entire time the judges were talking looked like she was about to hit the floor she looks so beat and tired. That being said I love the spunk she showed when they got done and she pretty much said she was just glad they got through it was good enough for her and then walked away. I love her for that. CAI of all times to call on a lift. Oy.

Oh and Jacoby dedicating his dance to his bug-a-boo. He’s gonna surprise a lot of people.

I wish I hadn’t read about others thinking it unfair Kellie’s husband was singing because then I’m going to have to get started on Zendaya and her hip hop samba that wasn’t a samba and Sean with the troupe and heck let’s bring in Aly and her flips during her routine. Seriously do we really want to go there?

I should end with that because then I’ll just get started and it’ll get ugly.

I would write it off as her referring to dancing in one of the musical numbers…but it sounds like she just found out about it. I know the Evanna fans were tweeting #proAnna last night, but I didn’t think they actually had enough doing it to make a difference. This “tweet to vote” ish just gets crazier & crazier… 😯

Her mom mentioned it as being last week, but then said she was confused about when it was scheduled to air and I remember when Anna thanked Val on twitter for a lovely rehearsal and that was about 3 weeks ago, I think.

That makes more sense, Evaine – just confusing that she acted as if she just found out, and that they were actually dancing LIVE. Admittedly, I’m probably the WORST Pure blogger (except for John, hehe ;-)) at keeping up with the Twitter exchanges of the pros, or what’s going on with results shows. That’s Vogue & Heidi territory…I’m too busy worrying about screen caps and cheese fodder. 😛

1)Andy and Sharna: Were they perfect? No but they wowed me.
2)Zandaya and Val: I was expecting at least one ten.
3)Keliie and Derek: This was a great rumba.
4)Aly and Mark: Another one I thought was underscored. I cannot wait for their tango (whenever that occurs)
5)Jacoby and Karina: This was a great dance. Disliked the song but it worked oddly enough.
6)Sean and Peta: This man has been getting better and better.
7)Ingo and Kym: It was really good.
8)Victor and Lindsay: Another underscored one.
9)Lisa and Gleb: She hasn’t really gotten better but she is better than D.L
10)D.L. and Cheryl: Yeah it was good but way overscored.

#51 Thing is, that’s not the first time a special singer has shown up. I think Josh Groban did this once, and maybe one other female singer. Don’t care enough to look too deep for the info. But, I could be wrong. So many seasons, so little memory left in my database.

@mimi – Petra Nemcova. Granted, it was for a finale routine, so it wasn’t like it actually counted for anything, but still. I have to ask those getting all up in arms about Kellie getting her husband to sing while she danced: were you also upset that Donald & Peta got Cowboy Troy to sing “I Play Chicken with the Train” live for their freestyle in season 14? 😀

Good point, Courtney. I don’t get people bitching about her husband singing. It was a personal story week, so there were a lot of loved ones in the celebs’ lives showcased last night, not just her husband. And as you mentioned, it’s been done before without anyone complaining then. I think the complaints have more to do with who her partner is than anything else.

I’m home sick with my computer in my bed, your site is keeping me informed/entertained as I lay here wanting to die!

I’m not a big Derek supporter, though I do think he is the best choreograoher and dancer on the show, but IMO Kellie’s husband singing for her dance last night fit perfectly with the theme of the show. Almost everyone incorporated the person their dance was dedicated to into their dance to one degree or another.

I’ve been voting for Sean myself. I KNOW he looks like a three year old stomping around out there, but I like him and I like to see someone who is not a natural improve over time. I think he has marginally improved. IMO, Kellie and Zendaya (and Jacoby to an extent) come in with natural ability which is not as compelling to me, though I enjoy watching them.

@auntie – I thought about Motown night too, but I don’t really count it because EVERYONE had someone singing their song live that night. I think the point that some fans are trying to make with regards to Kellie is “she got to have someone singing live, and nobody else did! NO FAIR!!!” Only thing is, crying foul there doesn’t really count when you consider that other couples have done the same/similar things in previous seasons. The most obvious example that popped into my head was Donald & Peta’s freestyle – William & Cheryl didn’t get Shakira to come sing their song, and Katherine only sang briefly at the beginning of her freestyle (pretty sure I didn’t hear any screams of “NO FAIR!!! Katherine can sing and the other contestants can’t…unfair advantage!!!” when that happened). Yet I didn’t hear anyone bitching about Donald & Peta getting the artist to come perform their song live. And as Heidi mentioned, Sean got all the troupe men in his cha-cha last week, and nobody really cried foul.

As Nancy put it, it sounds like some are looking for any ammo they can (no matter how weak) against a certain pro – hell, I remember a few people trying to complain about Derek & Shawn using crashmats (which you couldn’t even seen) for their quickstep last season, while Emmitt brought a donkey for his paso doble and Kirstie brought a freaking MINI COOPER for her cha-cha. Hmmmm…so livestock & automobiles = ok, but safety equipment = no bueno?

If I wasn’t Team Pickler and Hough, all my votes would have gone to Andy and Sharna last night. This couple is really moving me every week because of what it MEANS to Andy. I know the show and the journey has an important meaning for all of them… but I just feel that Andy NEEDS to stay on this show. Or maybe I am just being overdramatic.. haha!

I think Derek created the perfect moment for Kellie and Kyle. Since last week, Derek always said that this week’s dance was FOR Kellie.. not for the judges or anyone else. However, I always look forward to Derek’s rumbas for the reason that it’s one of the few dances were we can see deep emotion and deep connection btw the partners.. not to mention beautiful shapes from him. While Kellie made beautiful shapes and the choreo was beautiful, I felt the rumba connection/chemistry was missing. But when you are dancing FOR your husband, while your husband is singing the wedding song he wrote for you… with another man… it’s hard to portray that passion for another man. So while I think Derek achieved his goal of creating a memorable performance to watch over and over on youtube for Kellie and for the fans, it’s not my favorite of their dances. Definitely think there is more greatness to come from this couple in the future.

Zendaya – No question this girl is a talented dancer, but I already knew she would be great because she is a professional dancer. I totally think the show is setting Val up (meaning giving him the momentum) to replace Maks (Maks 2.0) and/or Derek (choreo innovator) when they leave permenantly. I don’t think Zen’s costume helped her at all and didn’t think her samba was as special as some of her previous dances.

Aly – Whoever commented on puredwts that this would be Aly’s breakthrough week looked through a crystal ball or TPTB have become THAT predictable. We all know Aly can flip around and do a great floor exercise…. lol

Jacoby – This guy is easy to love and cheer on. I think Court is right that he is going to be the sleeper winner.I just always end up smiling when his dances are over.

Thanks for this Court! Always look forward to it!
Do we know which pros are dancing tonight re the twitter contest? i know it must be Val for obvious reasons, but who is the girl? They haven’t made Zendaya a pro yet, have they? 😉
I hear you and PH were tweeting some facts that the youngin’s didn’t like and you got yourself in a bunch of trouble! You trolls! 😉

Well, I’m just glad to have personal stories week out of the way for another season and that we got a more upbeat theme this time. What a nice change to have only 1 rumba on personal stories week and to do the “dance of love” to tell a love story (what a concept).

For the most part, I was actually more engaged and moved while listening to the celebs talk about the inspiration for their dances than I was watching them try to interpret those stories on the dance floor. For me, tribute dances are best left to the pros.

I didn’t mind that Kellie’s husband sang while she danced. I actually like that better than the band singers. There’s always going to be a couple that has something in their dance that the other couples don’t have. Be it a donkey, a mattress, a mini cooper,etc. Penalizing one couple for props and not the others isn’t sporting. But then again, when was this show ever not trying be the puppet master. Never since I’ve been watching.

@Meggie – Apparently insinuating that the youngin’s should be in bed or doing homework instead of RT’ing all things Zendaya is “rude” and “unecessary”, per one teenage Zendaya fan. I told her to go do her homework.

I didn’t mind Kyle singing for Kellie at all, but as I feared, I think it did affect the overall performance. I mean, the rumba is a sexy, sensual dance and the song is a love song, yet Kellie is dancing with a man not her husband right in FRONT of her husband, who she clearly adores. Kudos to Derek for coming up with a routine that was not awkward or cringe-worthy but in the end, the number wasn’t all it could be, IMO.

I really am surprised so many think Lisa may withdraw. I think she is tougher than she may come across on camera. She may not have expected the long, grueling hours of practice would take on her physically, but then again neither did some of the other older celebs like Kirstie, Rickki and Jennifer Grey. I’m thinking that this may actually help them gain more supporters. I’m also expecting a surprising elimination since that’s this shows specialty! Hoping it’s Sean and Peta, but more likely Ingo and Kym or even current leaders Aly and Mark. Also can’t wait to see the pros voted to dance and what they come up with on such short notice!

It’s definitely about her partner, Nancy. Some immature idiot just tweeted Kellie “Sorry, I love you, But Derek is NOT getting a fourth mirrorball”. Petty much??

Speaking of – the little wackos tweeting Derek about Maks being on the show tonight, gloating for some odd reason….didn’t I just see that he’s at some race and is grand marshal of the parade or something today?

My favorite dance of the night was Aly and Mark, followed by Jacoby and Karina.

I have not seen anything out of Zendaya to like. She is irritating and it sounds like she has crazy, obnoxious fans. Her dance last night did not resemble the Sambas we usually see. I wish that she would just be gone.

according to one of the interviews after, Kellie showed Derek her wedding video. Then Derek said we have to use that song for your personal story, then the producers asked if Kyle would do it live(he’s a music producder, songwriter doesn’t usually perform)and he thought that the dance to that song would be a great tribute….so if the producers make a decision I guess the celebrity is just supposed to take the backlash of the stupidity of viewers who don’t remember the fact that plenty of others have done it…etc. Also I found CAI comment just unnecessary. Kellie was obviously a little emotional and CAI says something about her dancing so close to Derek ??? I mean, it was a rumba right? what were they supposed to do dance 10 ft apart so they could be docked for not enough”in hold” and not enough hip action! I thought there would be a problem with this set-up for her rumba, guess maybe they needed some other opening to be able to criticise her performance. Producers and judges on this show so frigging schizophrenic I’m beginning to question my own sanity. Add to that the twitter !crap…..Oy-veh

Jacoby & Karina
I loved Jacoby’s solo – I felt each moment of his tribute to his son-Made me a little misty and I couldn’t stop smiling. Karina’s doing an amazing job with him.

Andy & Sharma
Andy’s performance-geez dude has me rooting for him and I for one did not like hearing he would be on this season. He’s making us love him. His performance and dedication was a tear jerker indeed.

Kellie, Derek & Kyle Jacobs
Wow, beautiful performance, inspired by love! First of all, I loved how before he sang one note, Kyle starred lovingly at his wife… Kellie’s story was heartbreaking. The footage of she and Derek in rehearsals captured me as well. I love the way Derek teaches. Yes she was nervous but her performance was stunning! Those lines the maturity – Loved the way Derek let her go at the end and she danced for her husband!-That was sweet/sexy! The overall storyline & performance touched my heart.-Got to admit, it made misty eyed. I adore this girl. It could be because she seems to wear her heart on her sleeve. My favorite performance of the night.

Also have to mention Zendaya as I adore her as well. She is an incredible dancer and performer. For her age, she is a very passionate performer. I do wish Val hadn’t put her in those pants though because it made me think there was something wrong with her leg placement and he may have been trying to hide something. She still rocked it.

Aly did improve IMO, there were a couple of moments where she displayed passion and even the flips sort of told a story as well. I do however think she may have been over-scored.

Can’t wait to see the AT&T Spotlight Performance with Derek & Brilynn Rakes. I think this dance will pull at the heart strings as well. I saw a few of her Youtube videos and she is an incredibly passionate performer. Coupled with Derek, I think this will be a performance to remember.#inspiring